The first time the new Hoosiers will be able to test their coaching selections will be this weekend, when they take on No. 16 Iowa on Friday and No. 14 Northwestern on Sunday.
“We’ve been training on so many different things this week,” IU Coach Amanda Janney said. “We really feel like we’re getting prepared by both bringing up the level of competition, the intensity at practice and also some of the strategy we’ve been working on, so we feel really good going into Friday’s game.”
The Hoosier defense will be tested this weekend as they welcome two premium offensive attacks. Iowa’s two-pronged offense consists of Stephanie Norlander, the conference leader in goals, and Makenna Grewe, the conference leader in assists.
Northwestern brings its own front of Isabel Flens, Dominique Masters and Carolin Troncelliti, three of the top six Big Ten leaders in goals scored, and Charlotte Martin, who is tied for second in the conference in assists.
“We’ve really been working on keeping the ball tight on our sticks and working as a group and together as a team, just building up and staying on team defense and team offense the whole game and not breaking into individuals,” senior Sydney Supica said.
Both teams have three losses each this season, but five of those have come to top-10 opponents. Iowa fell to No. 2 North Carolina and No. 5 Stanford but are currently on a four game win streak, averaging five goals per game.
The Wildcats have losses to No. 1 Connecticut, No. 5 Duke and No. 10 Maryland but posted an impressive win against No. 13 Boston College.
“Big Ten competition is always different because it’s kind of a new season creating a lot of new competition that we haven’t seen,” Supica said. “It is tougher because it’s conference play and it brings a little bit more of that experience against tougher competition.”
IU is coming off a needed 4-2 victory against Ball State last weekend in which they dominated the offensive attack by attempting 18 shots on goal and forcing 12 penalty corners.
Northwestern keeper Lindsay von der Luft is second in the Big Ten allowing 1.4 goals per game while Iowa goalie Alexandra Pecora is fourth allowing 1.7 goals per game. They will make the Hoosier offense earn their way to a win as they currently sit second to last in the conference in goals per game at 2.3.
IU’s top three point leaders, senior Karen Lorite, junior Kate Barber and sophomore Maddie Latino, all scored for the Hoosiers last time out and will be relied on to generate the offensive attack this weekend.
“We’ve been really focusing in on the little details but really coming together as a team,” Barber said. “It is the Big Ten conference. We have a lot to come out for and really putting everything out on the field and giving 110 percent in practice, and it will just transfer over to the games.”
